Floatation For Athletes
Why every Athlete should utilize a Float Pod
Floating or flotation is therapy in which the person lies in a dense Epsom salt water solution in a pod that has been specially designed for this. It is an incredible and highly effective way of relaxing and relieving stress. This is a widely accepted therapy and is used by a number of world renowned athletes to treat various sports related conditions and aid in their recovery. It is also beneficial for those who don’t play any sports but want to better manage the stresses in their system.
Cumulative Effects
What is notable is the fact that the positive effects of floatation are also cumulative. the more frequently you use this therapy, the more you benefit. After several floats our athletes frequently comment on how they crave time in the float pod now. Sports people from various fields use this experience to optimize the effects of their training routines, manage fatigue, and speed up their recovery from sports injuries.
The benefits of using flotation therapy are:
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Increased concentration and focus
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Accelerates the recovery from injury
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Increases energy (ATP)
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Ideal space for visualization
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Boosts the immune system
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Reduces cortisol and Lactic acid levels in the body
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Aids in facilitated rest and reduces fatigue.
In the floatation pod, gravity isn’t a factor. The complete relaxation that it provides, gives all the muscles the much needed break they need. The benefits are truly impressive! When you are in the pod, every single muscle in the body gets the rest it needs and the proper time to fully recover.
Furthermore, epsom salts are a magnesium sulfate: a natural muscle relaxer and a protein builder for your joints. Not only can you truly decompress in the float pod, you absorb the minerals while you float directly into your muscles, allowing you to be noticeably less tense as soon as you get up!
Recovery Time Frame
When the athlete is in the flotation pod, the actual rate of recovery post physical exercise is enhanced beyond recognition. Recovery that would generally take a very long time gets compressed into just a few hours. Since floating in water that has high concentrations of Epsom salt reduces the stresses of gravity, the weight and pressure is taken off strained muscles, joints, and bones. This increases the efficiency of the blood circulation through the body. It also significantly improves the recovery time after injuries.
Sports Performance Improvement
Athletes that use this floatation therapy in combination with visualization techniques, experience a significant improvement in their performances. As the person’s brain transitions into a theta state, it becomes much more open to suggestion. The CNS (central nervous system) can be effectively trained to produce ‘perfect performance’. Today a number of top athletes use this technique to relax and up their performance in their chosen sport.
Working Against Gravity
While floating, gravity is taken off of the muscles and joints and the entire body is put in to a state of high physical relaxation. The blood pressure and oxygen intake reduces but the blood flow and distribution of red blood cells increases. These combined effects are especially beneficial to athletes, as it speeds the recovery from injury and assists in flushing out cortisol, lactic acid, and adrenaline that might have built up either via training or performance.
Reduces Injury Risk
Floatation loosens the muscles and gives athletes a higher degree of control in their nervous systems. In effect, this reduces risk of injury during training/competition. Floatation accelerates the athlete’s recovery process and releases large quantities of endorphins (natural painkillers of the body)
By being in an environment that facilitates sensory isolation, which is another component of floatation, the athlete truly has the space to reach the level of concentration required to have a tangible effect on his/her performance. Many modern training methods are focused on helping athletes master their “inner game” and assist in developing perfect synchronicity between body, mind and emotion.
This just leaves one question, When are you going to float?
Massage for athletes
Who Can Benefit?
Sports massage is particularly beneficial when an athlete is in training for an event. It’s also helpful for anyone who routinely stretches physical limits through movement. Swimmers, weight lifters, runners, golfers, ball players, skaters, dancers, tennis players, musicians, and boxers, as well as weekend warriors and those who practice strength training or aerobics, have benefited from sports massage.
How Is Sports Massage Administered?
Sports massage should be a regular part of every athlete’s training program. Athletes have different massage needs at different times. There are three basic categories:
Pre-Event - A quick treatment (rhythmic pumping) is a supplement to warm-up. It boosts circulation and increases flexibility and range of motion, thereby reducing muscle pain and soreness, leaving muscles relaxed and ready for action. Pre-event massage can help prevent muscle and tendon injuries and reduce the strain and discomfort of training. It also can be a great psychological advantage in competition.
Post-Event - Recovery after a competition involves not only the normalization and repair of tissue, but also general relaxation and mental calming. Post-event sports massage increases circulation to quicken the removal of fatigue toxins, relieve muscle spasms, and prevent soreness. It is used to assist athletes in recovery and in regaining their pre-event condition by relaxing tight, fatigued muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Training - Throughout training and rigorous regular athletic activity, massage helps prevent injuries. Areas of muscular stress can result from repetitive or stressful motion and are typically precursors to injury. Sports massage assists in relieving muscular stress and preventing injuries, enabling harder and more consistent training. Adequate recovery is also a major factor in avoiding nagging minor injuries that inhibit maximum
performance.
What Are The Common Causes Of Sports Injuries?
Injuries are commonly experienced when an individual has overtrained, fails to sufficiently warm up, receives trauma, or has muscular imbalances, poor flexibility, mineral deficiencies, inadequate endurance, or simply does too much too soon. Insufficient muscle strength and poor muscle tone may also lead to injury or a muscle tear.
How Can Sports Massage Help In Rehabilitation?
Sports massage can accelerate the healing process, increase range of motion, reduce adhesions, and reduce swelling, bruising, and pain. Areas of stress in other muscles, created through compensating for an injury, can be eased with a regular sports massage regimen. Sports massage can partially compensate for lack of exercise during inactivity while recovering from injury. Sports massage is also used to relieve muscular spasms and fatigue-related injuries.
Why Is Sports Massage Recommended?
Sports massage is more than just a reward at the end of a workout. It is a vital tool for keeping athletes primed for top performance and even lengthening their careers. Recognized as an important part of a regular maintenance program, sports massage is widely used by individuals, teams, and Olympic and professional athletes.
What Areas Will Be Massaged?
Sports massage may focus on specific muscles used in your sport or fitness activity. For example, areas of greater stress for runners and cyclists are the legs and lower back; for swimmers, the upper body.
